"That day when evening came, He said to His disciples, 'Let us go over to the other side।' Leaving the crowd behind, they took Him along, just as He was, in the boat. There were also other boats with Him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.(Mark 4:35-38a NIV)
Jesus joined his disciples on a boat ride. The blowing winds and the rocky motion of the boat put Him to sleep while the disciples went about their fishing business. There were other boats in the neighborhood, all doing the same thing, fishing to make a living. Out of the blue, the nice breeze got out of hand and started rocking the boats. In spite of the storm and the waves as high as mountains, Jesus snored away. You can imagine the anxiety and fear that gripped the disciples. They wondered what kind of man Jesus was if He could sleep through such a storm. They woke him up and asked:
'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?'"(Mark 4:38b)
"Quiet! Be Still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. (v. 39)
He asked His disciples,
"Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (v। 40)
Even when we walk with Jesus we can still have storms in our lives that can give us the creeps. We have to remember that other people are experiencing the storms too. The storms came even when Jesus was in the boat. We have comfort that when we stay close to Jesus. We are assured that when we call on Him He is able to rebuke the storms to leave us alone. All we have to do is to believe that he is able to come to our aid when we need him. This should be our mantra day in day out until it becomes part of us.
Your defense is to restructure your mind to help you fight the onslaught of anxiety that results from the disruption of your comfort zone. When this occurs you may feel you are the only one facing problems as it gets lonely when you are confronted with a tragedy in your life. Calling on Jesus will not work for you if you have not made him your partner in your life. Partnership comes with trust and open communication. If this is absent, the partnerships will not work. If you have not learnt to trust him, in your moment of need, you would feel naked and exposed without any shelter. You become the victim of fate. Mathew, writing in the New Testament addresses this cogently.
"22 ¶ And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.
23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.
24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. "
Thus anxiety, fear and life's uncertainties have been with us since the beginning of life. The formula for healthy peaceful living is Jesus' prescription above. We sometimes forget that our ancestors had the same uncertainties about life as we have now. As patients, if we stick to Jesus' prescription, we stand a chance of having joyful lives in the face of adversity.
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